Visiting Helsinki, Finland | Home of the Moomins

Finland is home of the Moomins, so as someone who grew up watching the Moomins on TV I was very excited to visit Helsinki in Finland. I’ll be sharing all about the incredible Moomin Cafe in Helsinki and stores, but first let’s start with everything else that Helsinki has to offer as there are a lot of places to visit in this city.

Temppeliaukio Church

The Temppeliaukio Church is also known as “Church in the Rock” and is an incredible church carved from rock, with an amazing copper dome. It’s the most unique church I’ve ever visited and had such a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The walls are made from rubble wall and rugged rock giving the interior a natural feel, with the natural light shining inside. They were setting up for a rock concert which they regularly hold however it wasn’t going to start until the evening, so unfortunately wasn’t able to experience the concert.

Helsinki & Upenski Cathedrals

Helsinki Cathedral overlooks Senate Square surrounded by neo-classical architecture and is one of the most popular tourist sights. It has become the symbol of Helsinki and you can also visit the interior and climc the steps to the top for an amazing view of Helsinki.

Uspenski Cathedral is a short walk from Helsinki Cathedral. If you take the route by the harbour you can stroll through the markets and grab a bite to eat. As you might be able to tell it was designed by a Russian architect and also has wonderful views of Helsinki.

Moomin Cafe

You can’t come to Helsinki without visiting the adorable Moomin Café! The whole café is themed from the wall art to the cushions and plushies on the chairs, however it’s not even just the food that’s themed but also the cups and plates which they are presented on. I went for a hot chocolate with a doughnut which has the cutest icing design on Snuffkin and a meringue which looked like. Helsinki in general is expensive so even though the prices seemed inflated in this café, you’ll find that they’re similar prices to other cafes in the area. After enjoying a warm hot chocolate and a bite to eat, I headed to the larger Moomin shop which is in the main shopping centre and obviously couldn’t resist purchasing a few items.

All Year Round Christmas Shop

If you love
Christmas then you will think the Christmas shop is wonderful, as it sells
Christmas items all year round. It’s a very strange experience walking into
down into ‘Santa’s Grotto’ any time of the year that isn’t October through to
December, however it’s beautiful! You walk down the stairs and through a snow
themed path before entering the main area of the shop, which as a Christmas
workshop feel. As bizarre as it sounds, the Christmas music and beautiful
decorations make you quickly forget the time of year. It’s a lovely place to
visit, even if you just want to browse.

If you love the Moomins then Helsinki will already be on your list of places to visit, however even if you don’t know who the Moomins are (Aaron had never heard of them before) you will still fall in love with this beautiful city. It’s rich in history and there’s lots of sights and attractions to keep you busy, as well as delicious food!